I bet you didn’t know that Iceland has it’s own set of islands just off the Southern Coast! They’re called the Westman Islands (also referred to as Vestmannaeyjar). The largest island, Heimaey, has a population of 4200 people and is home to the world’s largest Atlantic Puffin colony! More about that later. To get there, you simply follow the ring road east for 1 hr and 45 minutes from Reykjavik. Once you get to the ferry terminal (Landeyjahöfn), you board a 35 minute ferry ride over to Heimaey. Cars can come on the ferry or you can simply park it and board. The island is quite small, so we just left our car at the ferry terminal and walked everywhere.
While the Puffins were what initially drew me to the islands, I ended up loving so many things – the small town vibe where everyone knows each other, the variety of animal experiences we had and the lush scenery. It’s truly a magical place. There’s so much I could say, but I’ll focus today’s post on some of the unique animal experiences we had. But first, a few shots of this beautiful island…
Atlantic Puffins
Some fascinating things about Puffins:
- They are TERRIBLE flyers and frequently crash-land or have to attempt their landing multiple times.
- No one is really sure how old they can live to be. The oldest recorded one on the island is 42.
- An estimated 2 million Puffins live in the Westman Islands.
- The Puffling Patrol is made up of the children of Heimaey who all venture out one night in mid-August around the end of breeding season. On that night, a few hundred thousand baby Puffins make their way from the cliffs to the sea. They get disoriented by the city lights and end up on the street instead of the ocean. The island children go out and rescue these confused baby birds using boxes and flashlights. The children collect roughly a dozen babies each and are required to keep them fed and warm through the night and then release them off the cliff’s edge in the morning. Once the babies hit the sea, their bodies know what to do. Without the children’s help though, they wouldn’t make it more than 24 hours. Isn’t that a cool story/tradition?! Here’s a great book about it if you’d like to learn more.
- The Sea Life Trust in Heimaey runs a Puffin Rescue Center that helps injured Puffins or ones that end up with oil on their fur (which ends up being about 700 per year thanks to the large fishing industry there). Lots of local volunteers help rehabilitate and clean the birds.
Beluga Whales
Speaking of the Sea Life Trust, it is also home to 2 Beluga whales – Little White and Little Grey. These whales began their 30 hour journey from a Shanghai Aquarium to the Sea Life Trust facility in June of 2020. By August 2020 they were reintroduced to the ocean in the world’s first open water sanctuary for Beluga whales located in Heimaey’s Klettsvik Bay. They spend time out in the open water sanctuary each day and are getting used to seeing other animals (puffins and seals terrified them at first). Eventually they will be released back into the wild. The Sea Life Trust hopes to return many other Beluga whales to the wild in the years to come.
The whales were in their indoor tank when we visited the Sea Life Trust. I had never seen a Beluga Whale before and WOW were they magnificent animals. They had obviously been socialized to be around people because if you put your hand on the window, they’d come and press against it or swoop right in front of you. One even grinned and showed us his teeth. They were very playful. We also got to drive by the outdoor sanctuary, which looks like a really beautiful space for them. I was so grateful to see them up close but I’m glad they’ll be making their way back into the wild soon. PS – I couldn’t stop singing Raffi’s “Baby Beluga” in my head the whole time we were watching them. :)
Icelandic Horses
One of things Nia and I were most excited about before coming to Iceland was the chance to ride the Icelandic Horse, a breed native to Iceland. These horses are stunning to look at and have a unique gait called the “Tolt” that only they can do. Check out this video to see the Tolt and how it compares to other common horse gaits.
Nia and I go riding about 1-2 times a year on vacations. We always do a one hour ride and without fail, my bottom is super sore by the end. Shockingly, that was not the case this time. This was the smoothest-moving horse I’ve ever ridden. It was more like it glided than bounced up and done. Didn’t hurt a bit and I didn’t have any aching muscles afterwards. Totally wasn’t expecting that! Honestly, I’m tempted to ride again one more time before leaving because it was so pleasant.
The route we took was also very unique. A typical trail ride usually takes us through a forest or field. Not so this time. We went down on a black sand beach and then went up a large mountain that gave us a view of the entire island. The landscape was stunning and just added to the wow factor of the experience.
My Recommendations for the Westman Islands:
- Take a tour with Ebbi of Eyja Tours where you’ll get up close and personal with Puffins and the Belugas at the Sea Life Trust
- Do a one hour horse ride with Lyngfell Stables
- Stay at Lava House, smack dab in the middle of everything
- Eat what is quite possibly the “World’s Best Pizza” at Pitsugerdin
- Eat at Gott Restaurant
